ffBPH 






• ■>-. - ; .. ■ I ■■■■■■■■ ■■ 




I. 



■■ 



HflL 



m 



i 



eg 



!«■», 



■ 



DHL 

■ 



«*.: 



■ 












■■1 

bwauBH 

H 



IBB 




y 




CIRCULAR, 



CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF ORDER, 



OF THE 



SENATE 



Union eolUfle, 



FOUNDED BY THE CLASS GRADUATING IN 



MDCCCXL. 




SCHENECTADY: 

R1GGS & NORRIS, PRINTERS, No. 23, UNION-STREET.. 

1840. 




MM 



CIRCULAR, 
CONSTITUTION AND RULES OP ORDER, 

OF THE 

SENATE 



Union <&olltst, 



FOUNDED BY THE CLASS GRADUATING IN 



MDCCCXL. 



v> 






\ *HV 



SCHENECTADY: 

RIGGS & NORRIS, PRINTERS, No. 23, UNION-STREET.. 

1840- 



V- *^ W Br V 



CIRCULAR. 



To 

Dear Sir, 

You receive herewith, a copy of the Constitution and Rules of the Senate. 

Confident that you feel a deep interest in all that concerns your Alma Mater, 
and in all measures adopted to promote the improvement of her younger children — 
the members of the Senate have instructed me to apprise you of their organization, 
and to ask you to aid them, as far as may be in your power, in this their new 
plan, by which they hope to become more efficient and useful in the discharge of 
their future duties. 

Early in October last, a meeting of the Senior Class was held for the purpose 
of securing the objects designated in the Preamble to the Constitution. As a school 
for the attainment of these objects, we now feel convinced, from experience, 
that our Association affords facilities which- it will not be possible hereafter or else- 
where to combine. The Literary Societies, which have long existed in College, 
and with some one of which you were doubtless connected, are in a prosperous 
condition. The debates are conducted with spirit, and their extensive and well 
selected libraries continue to furnish their rich and increasing stores to enlarge the 
knowledge of the members. Ther-e are many reasons, however, which have induced 
students generally to retire from these societies at an early period in the Senior 
year; the principal of which is, the propriety of relieving from the constraint of 
their presence the younger members, and allowing them to enjoy all the advantages 
to be derived from the debates and the management of business. Still, the Seniors 
need even more than at any previous part of their collegiate course, facilities for im- 
provement in extemporaneous speaking, and for becoming familiar with those rules 
and usages, which prevail in parliamentary assemblies. To attain these ends, the 
Senate has been formed, and has met with eminent success. It is composed of 
persons whose pursuits are the same, and who are, as nearly as is possible, equals 
in academic rank, talent and attainment. The large number of its members con- 
stitutes a strong stimulus to exertion; while at the same time, the relations which 
exist among them are such as to ensure the constant exercise of mutual forbearance 
and kindness. They are at least the sons of the same Alma Mater. It embraces 
within the range of subjects for its discussion almost every question, which is en- 
dued with interest to the scholar, the statesman and general philanthropist — 
Membership commences at a period when the mind is partially matured, and qual- 



4 

ified to estimate the importance and discuss the merits of those question?. And 
what is perhaps, its highest recommendation, its exercises are carried on contem- 
poraneously with those of the recitation room; and thus that tendency to looseness 
of thought and language, which is so often and so justly made an objection to debat- 
ing societies, is counteracted by frequent attention to written composition and the 
constant pursuit of severe studies. 

Several attempts have been made to form an efficient and permanent association 
of the Alumni of our College. For various reasons, these attempts have failed. It 
is believed, that the provisions in the Constitution, relative to the perpetuation and 
annual meetings of the Senate, will be effective in securing so interesting and desir- 
able an object. Every member, having participated for a year in the benefits of the 
institution, will feel desirous of continuing those benefits to others, and will exert 
himself to make his annual pilgrimage to these retreats, which so many of our 
Alumni declare to have been the scene where they have passed the happiest por- 
tion of their lives. We feel confident, dear sir, that in inviting you to be present at 
our first anniversary, to be held on the 4th Wednesday of July next, and in endeavor- 
ing to enlist your sympathies and exertions in behalf of our Association, we are ask- 
ing you to do that, which will result in the improvement of the members of our 
College andin the increase of your own happiness. When in obedience to the 11th 
Article of our Constitution, we shall assemble year after year to exchange saluta- 
tions, and consult on the best modes of perpetuating the existence and promoting 
the welfare of the Senate ; when even the voice of debate shall be hushed, and no 
sounds heard but such as issue from hearts filled with affectionate recollections — then 
shall we be happy in the reflection, that we have had some agency in establishing 
an institution, which has benefited ourselves and our successors, and which has 
added number, interest and variety to college associations. 
Very respectfully, 

Your friend and servant, 

THOMAS C. REED, 

President of the Senate. 
Union College, March 1st, 1840. 



CONSTITUTION. 



PREAMBLE. 

We, the Members of the Senior Class in Union College, for the 
purpose of advancing in general knowledge, of improving in debating 
and extemporaneous speaking, and of becoming acquainted with the 
rules and usages of parliamentary assemblages, do form ourselves into 
a body to be called the Senate ; and to attain our ends, we sign, and 
promise to obey the following Constitution and Rules of Order : 

ARTICLE I— Of the Time or Meeting. 
The Senate shall meet every Saturday, except the first, of each Col- 
legiate term, at 9 o'clock A. M. 

ARTICLE II. — Of Officers and their Duties. 

§1. The officers of the Senate shall be a President, Vice President, 
Secretary, Treasurer and Librarian. 

§2. It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings 
of the Senate ; at the first regular meeting after his election, to deliver 
an address ; and from time to time to present, for the consideration of 
the Senate,- by messages, such suggestions and measures as in his opin- 
ion shall seem conducive to the public good ; which suggestions and 
measures, shall be referred to committees, who shall report on them ; 
their reports shall then be submitted to the consideration of the Senate. 

§3. It shall be the duty of the Vice President to preside during the 
absence of the President ; and in case of the President's resignation or 
removal from College, to perform all the duties which would devolve on 
him during his term of office. 



§4. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep in a book provided 
for that purpose, the minutes of the Senate ; in which shall be accurate- 
ly stated the names of absentees, the course of proceeding's, the names 
of the debaters, with the sides they have taken, and the final vote taken 
on all questions considered by the Senate. 

§5. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive and keep all mo- 
nies belonging to the Senate ; to report at the last meeting of his term 
of office on the condition of the treasury, stating in his report his views 
of finance in general ; which report shall always be referred to a com- 
mittee of the whole Senate. 

§6. It shall be the duty of the Librarian to take charge of the Libra- 
ry, to keep in a book provided for the purpose, the names of donors and 
the titles of all books and public documents presented, and to impose 
such restrictions on the members drawing therefrom as the Senate may 
direct. 

§7. A committee consisting of one from each Senatorial District, 
called a book committee, shall be appointed at the last meeting of each 
term, who shall recommend books, and purchase such as the Senate may 
direct; and who shall be empowered to use all justifiable means to in- 
crease the tone and value of the Library . 

§8. There shall be appointed each term, a standing committee on 
absences, consisting of one Senator from each District, who shall have 
power to take into consideration the excuses of delinquents, and to im- 
pose or remit fines as they shall deem right and proper. 

ARTICLE III— Of Elections. 

§1. All elections of officers shall be by ballot; and whoever shall 
receive the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected ; and at 
all elections two members shall be appointed by the Chair as tellers. 

§2. All committees shall be appointed by the presiding officer, un- 
less the Senate shall otherwise direct. 

§3. The President shall be elected at the last meeting of each Col- 
legiate term, and shall continue in office until the last meeting of the 
following term. 

§4. The Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Librarian, shall 
be elected at the fifth meeting, and the last meeting of each Collegiate 
term. 



ARTICLE IV— Of Membership. 

§1. No person shall be an attending member of the Senate, (except 
the President, who shall be a member of the Faculty,) unless he is a 
member of the Senior Class for the time being, or unless he recite re- 
gularly with the class. Such members only as are here indicated, shall 
be eligible to office ; nor shall any others have a right to vote at elec- 
tions, or on any question before the Senate. The only exceptions to 
this section, are such as are contained in the following section. 

§2. At the last regular meeting but one of the third term of the Se- 
nior year, the whole Junior Class shall be invited to become members of 
the Senate. At the meeting next ensuing, after the regular duties of 
the Senate shall have been performed, they shall be duly initiated ac- 
cording to a form hereinafter provided. After such initiation, the con- 
nection of the Senior Class with the Senate, as attending members, 
shall cease, and the new members shall proceed to the election of their 
officers for the ensuing term — the late President presiding at the elec- 
tion. The Senior Class shall henceforth be honorary members of the 
Senate, and shall be entitled to admission within the bar to participate 
in the debates, and to enjoy all the privileges of attending members ex- 
cept the right of voting. 

§3. The Faculty of the College shall be ex officio honorary mem= 
bers of the Senate, and all the graduates of Union College shall be hon- 
orary members ; and no person shall be a member of the Senate unless 
he be a graduate of Union College, or belong to the Faculty thereof. 

ARTICLE V.— Of a Quorum. 
§1. Twenty attending members shall constitute a quorum for the 
transaction of business. 

ARTICLE VI.— Of Absences. 
§1. It shall be the duty of every member to be present at the meet- 
ings of the Senate ; and for every absence at the calling of the roll, the 
absentee shall pay into the treasury the sum of six and a quarter cents. 

ARTICLE VII. — Of Extraordinary Meetings. 
§1. Extra meetings of the Senate may be called at the discretion of 
the President, or if ten members request it in writing, the President shall 



call an extra meeting ; and all notices of such meetings shall be signed 
by the President, and posted on the door of the College post office, at 
least six hours before the time at which the meeting is to be held ; but 
if notice of extra meetings can be given in chapel, one hour only may 
intervene between the notice and the hour of meeting. 

ARTICLE VIII. — Of Questions for Debate. 

§1. The subjects discussed by the Senate shall be confined to Polit- 
ical Science, Political Economy, Ethics, Mental Philosophy and Lit- 
erature. 

§2. All questions for debate shall be introduced by resolution. The 
resolution, if seconded, shall be referred to a committee of the whole 
Senate. It shall then be freely discussed under such restrictions only 
as are specified in the rules of order relating to u Debates ;" but on no 
occasion shall the previous question be called. 

§3. All questions, except those specially provided for in this consti- 
tution, shall be decided by a majority of members present. 

ARTICLE IX. — Of Senatorial Districts. 
§1. The members of the Senate, with reference to their residences, 
shall be divided into seven classes : — those rooming in the North Hall 
and north section of the North College, shall form the first class; those 
rooming in the middle section of the North College, the second class; 
those rooming in the south section of the North College, the third class ; 
those rooming in the north section of the South College; the fourth class ; 
those rooming in the middle section of the South College, the fifth class ; 
those rooming in the south section of the South College, and in the 
South Hall, the sixth class ; and those rooming in town, the seventh 
class. These residences shall be called districts; and whenever, in de- 
bate, a member is alluded to, it shall not be by name, but as the Gen- 
tleman or Senator from the first district, &c. 

ARTICLE X— Of the Treasury. 
§1. Each attending member shall pay into the treasury, some time 
during the second week of each Collegiate term, the sum of twenty- 
five cents. 



9 

§2. The regular receipts of the treasury shall be appropriated to the 
purchase of books, periodicals, and the necessary stationary for the use 
of the Secretary, Treasurer and Librarian, and to no other purposes ; 
nor shall any disbursements be made except by a vote of a majority of 
the members present at a regular meeting of the Senate. 

ARTICLE XL — Of the Anniversary. 

§1. There shall be an annual celebration of the Senate, on the after- 
noon and evening of Commencement day. The attending and hono- 
rary members of the Senate shall meet at two o'clock P. M. of said 
day, to exchange salutations, to consult concerning measures calculated 
to perpetuate the Senate, and promote its interests, and to dine ; and 
in the evening an address shall be delivered by the orator. 

§2. The orator shall be elected by ballot at the first meeting of the 
second term Senior. The person elected shall be a graduate of Union 
College. 

ARTICLE XII. — Of Alterations and Amendments to the 

Constitution. 
§1. This Constitution shall not be altered or amended, unless notice 
be given of the proposed alteration or amendment at least one regular 
meeting before it is laid before the Senate ; it shall then lie on the ta- 
ble six regular meetings, when it may be discussed ; and if two-thirds 
of all the members present, at any regular meeting of the Senate, shall 
vote for such alteration or amendment, it shall be made. 



RULES OF ORDER. 



SECTION I. — Order of Business at Regular Meetings. 

1. Calling of the roll. 

2. Journal of the last meeting. 

3. Reports of committees, in such order as the President shall direct. 

4. Debates. 

5. Miscellaneous business. 

SECTION II. — Arrangement of Business. 
The Secretary shall keep a list of all bills, resolutions, and reports of committees, 
which are committed to a committee of the whole Senate, in the order in which they 
have been introduced; which last shall be called the " General Orders." The sub- 
jects on the general orders shall be taken up and discussed in the order in which 
they then stand, unless the Senate shall otherwise determine. But before any sub- 
ject on the general orders shall be debated, it shall have been made the special order 
of the day for a particular day, at least one week beforehand. 

SECTION III.— Of Debates. 

Rule 1st. All questions for debate which stand on the general orders, shall be 
referred to a committee of the whole Senate, in which they shall be freely discussed 
in the following manner: — The President having appointed some member as chair- 
man of the committee, shall leave the chair, and take his seat elsewhere as any oth- 
er member, and be at liberty to take part in the debate. Each member may speak 
twice in committee of the whole, but not the second time until every member wish- 
ing to speak shall have spoken. After a question has passed through the committee 
of the whole, it may be farther discussed in the House, when each member may 
speak once; but in no case shall a member speak more than 15 minutes at one time. 

Rule 2d. No amendment can be made to a question in committee of the whole. 

Rule 3d. When a member means to speak, he is to rise in his place, and address 
himself to the chairman, who shall designate him by his name or his residence, that 
the Senate may know who it is that speaks. 

Rrle 4th. No member is to speak impertinently or beside the question, super- 
fluouslv or tediously, nor to speak reviling or unmannerly words against the Senate 
or any particular member. The nature and consequence of a measure may be rep- 
robated, but to arraign the motives of those who propose or advocate it, is against 
order. And every member is bound by his gentlemanly demeanor and language to 
sustain the dignity of the Senate. 



11 

SECTION IV.— Of Motions. 

Rule 1st. When a motion is made, it is not to be put nor debated, until it is sec- 
onded. 

Rule 2d. When a motion is seconded, it must be stated by the chair before de- 
bate; and every such motion shall be reduced to writing if the President or any 
member desire it. 

Rule 3d. After a motion is stated by the President, it shall be deemed to be in 
the possession of the House; but it may be withdrawn at any time before decision 
or amendment. 

SECTION V. — Miscellaneous Rules. 

Rule 1st. Each member is to have his place assigned him by the President, which 
he is not to leave unnecessarily during the sittings of the Senate. 

Rule 2d. All questions of order shall be decided by the Chair, from which de- 
cision, however, an appeal may be made to the House. 

Rule 3d. A question of order may be adjourned to give time to examine prece- 
dents. 

Rule 4th. A member called to order shall immediately sit down, unless permit- 
ted to explain; and the House, if appealed to, shall decide on the case but without 
debate; if there be no appeal, the decision of the chair shall be submitted to. 

Rule 5th. The address and message of the President shall be always in order; 
and the reference to committees, as provided by the constitution, of suggestions con- 
tained in the message, may be made immediately after it is delivered. 

Rule 6th. A motion to adjourn shall be always in order, and it shall be decided 
without debate. When the Senate has resolved to adjourn, every member shall re- 
main seated until the President has left the chair. 

Rule 7th. No alteration shall be made in the rules of order, unless it is proposed 
at one regular meeting before it is discussed and acted on; but the rules may be 
suspended for good reasons, if a majority of the members present so determine. 



% 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




028 3634711# 




HmmKB 



■ HH 



' HHHB^H ESS Bf 
iSBH^Ba hMH 

■ 



4' 



Mb 

■1 



■ 



■ 



iHu EH 

THliHmv 
Hi wK&s 

^mhWI ■■ 

T>V • H 

•*>»»*. baa 

hm^mH 






■ I 

■ 

QZi MmVmH 



^HH 



HmI 



*t p MHl 

mWH . 



■ Hp 

■Hi HHMKJ£nf 

t.x*« Hi 

BBBVI 
■■J 

■K»3| 

? i hmmI 



liDiil 



IfKti 



raw 

hHI 



rHKHnl 

Hi r . I 

HBnKI 






HH1 v 



ri- HHHB 

■I ■■ 

■ 






p» '■•V.iV.WJ' r ■ •-■.".'" 

H BsPfSS 

Baft! jBaHKSfceJK&v 

HMMj HH| SkS I%> 
■ HHM^mI 

fete** ^^^^B 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



028 363 471 



1 



Hollinger Corp. 
pH6\5 



